William Rambo of north Houston has never subscribed to DISH Network and he didn't know why the company's satellite charges ended up on his phone bill.

For the last two years, the Centerpoint retiree has been a Direct TV customer. That's separate from his AT&T landline phone bill, which usually ranges from $52 to $59.

But in March, the monthly charges on his phone bill skyrocketed to more than $130. After a little research and some time on the line with AT&T customer service representatives, Rambo figured out why: A neighbor whose phone number is identical to his - except for the last digit - ordered DISH Network. The company apparently uses phone numbers to identify accounts and the clerical error caused Rambo to be charged for the neighbor's satellite service.

"I cannot contact anyone at AT&T that seems to understand what happened to rectify it," the 72-year-old said, adding that he's also spent a good amount of time on the phone with an array of DISH representatives. "That one little number and I have had the biggest headache you can imagine."

Called the Advocate

His April bill climbed to $191. May was $172.

AT&T told him it resolved the error and this month's bill was down to $122 - but still far from the usual $60.

Rambo suspected that the company had not forgiven late fees on charges that never should have been placed on his account.

So, he reached out to The Houston Advocate (blog.chron.com/advocate), a new Houston Chronicle consumer affairs and government watchdog blog designed to expose unfairness and set things right for our readers.

Adjustments made

The Advocate contacted AT&T this week. The company straightened out the billing mix-up a few days later.

"Customer service informs me that all outstanding charges for Mr. Rambo have been adjusted and resolved to his satisfaction," Carlos Ramirez, AT&T's senior public relations manager for South Texas, wrote in an email Thursday morning. "The charges may take one to two billing cycles to work themselves through the system, but he will not face any additional charges."

The company couldn't catch up with Rambo more quickly because he's been on vacation. "We got back in town and I had about 10 messages," he said, adding that he has spoken to an AT&T executive's secretaries.

Apologies issued

Did they apologize for his inconvenience? "Profusely," Rambo said. "They told me to mail in $51.68 and that they'll take care of it. Next month, we'll see if they caught it."

DISH also contacted him to make sure there was no further confusion.

"It was running my blood pressure up every month when I opened the bill," Rambo added.

Thankfully, his landline didn't get disconnected during the misunderstanding.

If you're a taxpayer or consumer in need of a "Houston Advocate Fix," send an email to cindy.george@chron.com, tweet @HouAdvocate or call 713-362-6374. With a little help, there may be some "Texas justice" around the corner for you, too.